The UBE-class Mobile Drill Platform[2] is a titanic landship that was causing tremors and geological instability in the Upper Plains of the Western Frontier in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.[1] It was destroyed during the events of the game.
Specifications/Overview[]
Among one of the largest ground vehicles ever constructed by humans, being second in size to only the Bucket Wheel Excavators. Mobile Drill Platforms such as Alpha have very little to fear from the Pandoran elements. The landship is huge, being roughly 63 meters wide, almost a 100 meters long and a drill tower of equal height.[1] Subtlety is not this machine's strong suit.
The ship's superstructure is supported by a total of 16 large tracked units. Eight at the front and eight at the back.[1] There is a gap that separates the eight tracks into four units, a design flaw as it allowed The Sarentu to sneak underneath the ship at the front without detection.[1] In the center of the ship lay its infamous drill column, a skyscraper-sized bore drill that is meant to dig deep into the earth to extract hard-to-reach ore veins and more importantly, oil, to be processed.[1] The effects of the drill is substantial, creating miniature earthquakes and aftershocks that killed many members of the Zeswa Clan. The back of the ship lay a conveyor dump where the ship would expel any precious minerals to be shipped back to base.[1]
The ship has multiple decks (approximately a total of 9 decks, 5 on the superstructure itself and 4 tower decks[2]) and housed dozens of armed SecOps personnel. The first deck, is unofficially called the Track Deck as it is situated in the middle of the vehicle's various tracks. The Track Deck is the smallest deck and is there for maintenance. Access is done through ladders, with a small walkway preventing accidental falling[1]. The second deck is otherwise known as the storage deck, as it stored several AMP Suits for patrol and is the second smallest deck[1]. Deck 01 is the primary deck where the majority of SecOps staff do their patrols. Deck 01 possess the front cupola forming the "face" of the ship as well as side vantage points for personnel to embark/disembark from the ship, but the most important part of Deck 01 is the presence of four elevator shafts at the ship's bow, which acts as enemy spawn points[1][3]. Deck 02 is another elevated deck that act as a loading bay and provides more levels for RDA personnel to walk around with as well as the fact that it is the first open-top deck covering the front of the ship. Deck 02 also act as the primary level where the ship's rear ramp is located[1]. Deck 03 is another open-top deck located at the rear and is further elevated. Deck 03 is the closest to the drill column and is where workers can safely monitor the drill's functionality[1]. Deck 04 is located at the stern and is the primary deck that connects the ship's two ventilation towers[1].
The ship's two ventilation towers are aptly named Tower 01 and Tower 02. 01 is located on the portside whilst 02 is situated on the starboard. Each tower has four decks. The first being the Base Deck, which is nothing more than a small level to connect itself with Deck 04[1]. The Base Deck is the easiest deck to access as it is done through ramps. Tower Deck 01, 02 and 03, however, is far more removed and can only be accessed via internal elevators which the player cannot access[1]. Tower Deck 01 and 02 are nothing more than overglorified watchtowers with protective ramps. Tower Deck 03 on the other hand, is the largest of the tower decks, as it connects both towers in a scaffold-like design[1]. Tower Deck 03 likewise, also oversees the maintenance of the drill column from the top, as it acts as the ship's "roof" per say[1].
The drill column is powered by two control wires on the side plus a fuse box at the front.[4] Sabotaging all of them damages the drill. One is located on the starboard of Deck 01 whilst the second is located on the portside of Deck 03.[4] However, to fully put the drill at a permanent end, the drill's control fuse needs to be damaged. The fuse box is located on the bow of Deck 02 in front of the central drill column.[4] Once all three key elements are destroyed, an emergency action would commence where the drill core will open to discharge heat.[4] Any interference would cause a chain reaction that would destroy the ship from the inside out.
Whilst it is largely a civilian mining ship, the vessel isn't unarmed. Deck 02 and Deck 03 is bristling with over a dozen machine gun emplacements for short-ranged self-defence against attacking Na'vi[1]. Against aerial targets, the ship possess two Flak Cannon Turrets, each located on the Base Deck for each tower[1]. The Mobile Drill Platform also had its own accompanying air force for further protection.[1]
Nevertheless, despite its immense size, control of the ship is directed outside of the vehicle, with a command and control center situated nearby.[1] This is to ensure the safety of the ship's personnel in case anything were to go awry.
Outside of Drill Platform Alpha, two additional MDPs were seen docked in Drill Platform Omega.[5]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora: A Distant Storm
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 RDA UBE Machine
- ↑ Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora | Distant Storm
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 IGN: A Distant Storm Walkthrough
- ↑ Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora - RDA